


Love Will Lead The Way

by pastles



Series: Swan Song AU [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: AU, Blind Kakashi, Jumping Timeline, M/M, kind of a song fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-03-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:42:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23263405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pastles/pseuds/pastles
Summary: Kakashi is a famous songwriter, but an issue with his eye causes him to experience temporary blindness. He meets Iruka, a volunteer at the hospital and something special springs up between them
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka
Series: Swan Song AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1672726
Comments: 1
Kudos: 57
Collections: Iruka's Birthday Shiritori 2020





	Love Will Lead The Way

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [I challenge you](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23187301) by [hkandi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hkandi/pseuds/hkandi). 



> Erm, this isn't anywhere near finished *sweats* And was inspired by a Hong Kong film, Secretly in love with you (偷偷爱你). But the song in this fic is "Won't Go Home Without You" by Maroon 5.
> 
> I hope the jumping sections aren't too confusing.
> 
> [Warning] No beta
> 
> Team #1 Iruka Birthday Shiritori, Part 3

_“Lead the way, sensei.”_

_Cool fingers wrapped around an elbow, and a soft voice started singing._

_"I asked her to stay  
But she wouldn't listen…"_

_Kakashi forced himself to keep to a sedate pace when he exited the station, singing softly to himself so wouldn't call too much attention to himself. He paid extra care to his surroundings, trying to see if he could recognise the smells around him._

_There! That's the smell of the ramen store… Ah, so the store's name was Ichiraku. It was a typical ramen store; a bar counter with the noren over the entrance, with some seating further in the store. Kakashi already knew that the ramen was delicious, but he didn't know how well-lit it was, or how cute the server, Ayame, his brain helpfully suggested, was. But he didn't have time to say hi, as he turned into the small alley beside the store, still singing his song._

_"Won't go home without you…"_

_The cat and her kittens hissed at Kakashi as he stepped around them before he had even seen them, lips curling into a small smile even as he continued his song. This was why they had to always take a side step at this timing..._

++++++++++ 

"Kakashi, listen to me, you need to get that headache checked out." Gai, actually sounding exasperated for once, poured the fruits into the blender and turned it on, Kakashi's distracted hum disappearing under the loud whirls as it blended the fruits. 

"You've had this headache for the past month, I really don't think that it's a simple migraine anymore." Gai stopped the blender and added some milk into the concoction, which was turning a disturbing shade of red. "And it shouldn't be due to your diet this time." 

"Hmm." Kakashi ignored the throbbing headache and adjusted his glasses again. The screen was turning blurry, which was ridiculous as he'd just changed his glasses recently. He wished he could put on his contacts, but his headache was so bad that he couldn't even muster the urge to do so. 

Maybe Gai was right and he should go see a doctor soon. The headaches were constant now, and nothing he took seemed to help. But he had to finish the new song or else not only would Gai be at his home more often, so would Tenzo; not to mention that if he didn't get a song out soon, that Terumi Mei would personally come knocking on his door, even though she shouldn't have any idea where his current flat was. 

Kakashi had full confidence that she would be able to find out. 

Rubbing his temples, grateful that Gai had finally turned off that damn blender, Kakashi reached out for the remote to his sound system; hopefully some inspiration would kick him out of his slump that he'd been in for the past 6 months. 

He didn't even hear the glass breaking on the floor from Gai dropping it as his vision blacked out and he slid onto the floor with a dull thud. 

++++++++++ 

Kakashi woke up to furious mutterings above his head. He took stock of his body and was slightly relieved to find nothing out of the ordinary, except maybe for the dull thud at the back of his head in addition to the usual constant pain behind his eyes. He wasn't attached to any beeping machines and it felt like he was still in his own clothes. He also noted that he was in a hospital, and that the furious and low voices belonged to Gai and Asuma. 

When he couldn’t stand the mutterings anymore, Kakashi shifted slightly. As expected, the voices stopped. 

“If you guys are arguing for an opened or closed coffin, I prefer closed. And I’ve already given instructions to Kurenai.” 

“My best rival, “Gai effused (“I’m your only rival,” Kakashi muttered under the blanket covering the bottom half of his face.) “Good news, you won’t be dying anytime soon! The doctor has assured us of that fact.” 

“But?” There was always a but. 

Gai’s face turned serious, causing Kakashi to tense up slightly, “There’s a complication with your eye implant…” 

Obito… 

Gai’s voice faded into as a dull roar filled Kakashi’s head and the pain behind his eye that had started up a month ago intensified. This was why he had avoided going to the doctor. There was no way he was going to give up Obito’s eye. It was the only thing that he had left from his best friends… 

“Kakashi! Calm down! You’re not going to lose your eye…” 

Asuma’s low voice cut through Kakashi’ rising panic. 

“Gai, shut up. You’re messing everything up. Why don’t you see if Tsunade-sensei is around? She’ll probably be better at explaining this than you.” 

“Good idea!” And like a tornado, Gai was out of the hospital room in a flash. With Gai gone, silence once again reigned in the room, and Kakashi exhaled shakily. 

“I won’t lose… Obi… my eye?” 

Asuma sighed, and Kakashi’s lips twitched under the blankets. He recognised that sound, it was Asuma’s “God, I wished I had a smoke” sound. 

“That’s not what I heard…” 

++++++++++ 

_“It's not over tonight  
Just give me one more chance to make it right” _

_There is it, the small wind chime. The soft sounds catching his ear immediately. It was a cute little thing, hanging in the window of the first floor flat. Kakashi stood there for a moment, looking up the stairwell, heart pounding. The first step was always the hardest but Kakashi felt no apprehension. Humming the rest of the song, he took the first step._

++++++++++ 

“No,” Kakashi wished someone would pass him a face mask, he was beginning to feel a little ridiculous still lying under the covers. But there were strangers in his room, and he did not feel like being recognised today. 

“You might as well sit up, Kakashi,” The blonde doctor who had breezed into his room with Gai behind her held up his medical clipboard. “The whole hospital already knows that you’re here.” 

“That’s beside the point, Tsunade-sensei.” 

Tsunade only hummed as she continued reading his chart. “What’s beside the point is that I cannot believe that it took you so long to come see me. I heard that you’ve been experiencing this pain for the past month?” 

A glare at Gai, who whistled softly and looked away. 

“I’ve been busy…” 

“Have you?” Tsunade tapped the clipboard on her thigh. “I guess Terumi Mei’s going to release her new album soon…” 

“Didn’t know that you liked pop music…” 

Tsunade’s smile was as sharp now as it was 10 years ago when he first opened his eyes after that accident. 

“I don’t.” 

++++++++++ 

_"The words that would mend  
The things that were broken"_

_Straight down the little alley, and then past the playground. It sounded different in the day when there were actual children playing in it. Usually, it’d be the sounds of the street hawkers and food carts and of customers walking around. The smells of the food filling the air, just like how the laughter of the children was filling the air now._

++++++++++ 

“Are the bandages too tight, Hatake-sama?” 

Kakashi shook his head, already impatient to take the bandages covering his eyes off. He was due to stay in the hospital for 2 weeks, but he’d been barely awake for 10 minutes and already he was feeling bored. 

Feeling bored was a much better alternative to feeling worried. 

The nurse tucked the blanket in around him before patting him one last time and gently placing a small device in his hand. 

“This is the call button, don’t hesitate to push it if you need help, Hatake-sama.” Kakashi nodded in the direction of the door, only allowing himself to relax when the door closed with a soft click, leaving him with only the beeping of the machine and total darkness. 

The bed was comfortable, and he was not looking forward to what will be on the entertainment news, but that’s why he hired people for. He wondered if Mr Ukki would survive, but Mr Ukki was a cactus so he should be fine… Tsunade-sensei said that he would be able to remove the bandages in a day or so, but he’d suffer from impeded vision for a while. But the operation was a success… 

What if his vision never came back… what if, after all this, he still needed to remove Obito’s eye… what if… 

“Iruka-sensei’s never going to find me in here. Heh heh heh…” 

There was some shuffling by the door, and some quiet… well, not that quiet, considering that this was meant to be a hospital room with a patient, chortling by the door. 

“Well, the nurse is going find you if you continue standing by the door.” 

The yelp that sounded from the door was quite satisfying. 

“You almost gave me a heart attack, mister.” 

The shuffling came closer and Kakashi’s nose twitched. Did he smell… ramen? 

“Hey, hey, mister, are you sick? Why do you have bandages around your eyes? Or did you have brain surgery? Is that why you have the bandage around your head? Have you pressed this button before?” 

“I wouldn’t press it if I were you…” 

“Eh heh heh. Why not?” The youthful voice came from around his hand where he was holding the call device. From what Kakashi could tell from the voice, it was a young boy. 

“Because…” But Kakashi was too late as a grubby finger pressed down on the button. 

“Hey, this is boring.” The boy grumbled when nothing happened immediately after the button was pressed. 

“I wouldn’t press that again if I were you.” 

“Why noooot?” The whine was cut midway when the door opened. 

“Can I help you, Hatake-sama? Hey you! What are you doing here?” 

“Ack!” 

“Naruto! There you are!” 

“Iruka-sensei! Ack! No, ouch.” 

“Sorry for the disturbance,” A new voice joined the fray, and Kakashi felt it reverb in his head. 

Before Kakashi could reply, new voice and young boy had already left the room amidst more harried apologies and Kakashi to wave the nurse away. 

++++++++ 

_“Of all the things I felt but never really shown  
Perhaps the worst is that I ever let you go”_

_“Holy crap.” Kakashi stopped at the top of the flight of stairs. He couldn’t believe he managed to walk down those stairs blind. They were extremely steep and really, Kakashi couldn’t understand why they were not considered hazardous yet. He slowly walked down the stairs, taking one step at a time._

_He grabbed onto the railings as a group of kids ran past him, one of them accidentally banging into him, and he tried to not curse too loudly. He chuckled to himself. Sensei has really rubbed off on him; he’d even stopped swearing in front of kids._

_Kakashi heaved a sigh of relief when he reached the last step, and resisted the urge to look back up at the death trap he’d just walked down._

_He took another deep breath, and with memory of a warm hand on his elbow guiding the way, he started walking about._

++++++++ 

Day 3 of his hospital stay and already Kakashi was devising ways he could sneak out of the hospital. Maybe he could persuade Shizune to let him out if Tsunade wasn’t with her. Or maybe he could bully Gai into sneaking him out, just tilt his head at the right angle at his friend. He’d give in sooner or later. 

Ah, that’s probably why Asuma was with Gai for the past few times they visited. 

"Hey, mister… hey… psst." 

Kakashi turned his head to the door, the darkness still disconcerting. His hearing had always been excellent, and it had helped him a lot in his career, but with his sight obscured, he was even more sensitive to sound more than ever. Every single beep of the machine, every squeak of the shoes outside his room, every sound was heard clearly even though the door was closed all the time. 

Even the whispers were clearer than ever. 

"Mister… you awake?" 

Kakashi guessed the boy was trying to speak softly, but it didn't seem like he had any practice doing it. 

"Hey… mister… Psssst." The voice was closer to his bed now and Kakashi felt it dip. 

"What do you want, Naruto?" 

"Hey! How did you know it was me? Can you see me?" 

"That's because I have magical powers." Kakashi smirked, making sure that his blanket didn't move from his face. 

"Really?" 

"Yeah, and I can tell you that your sensei's going to find you soon." 

Naruto scoffed, "I'm not an idiot, I know you're pulling my leg…" 

"Naruto, what are you doing here?" 

Naruto's yelp right in his ear caused Kakashi to wince. That boy was loud. 

"I… I… Iruka-sensei," While Naruto's voice sounded nervous, he didn't sound scared. 

"Naruto…" 

"I'll just go now… Eh heh heh heh." Naruto rushed out of the room, but was caught by Iruka at the door. At the short struggle by the door, and Naruto's whine of "Stoooooop" probably meant he was caught by Iruka and got his hair ruffled or something. 

"Hello, sorry if he was disturbing you." 

"It's not a problem, he wasn't here long enough to do so." 

Iruka had a nice laugh. "I'm Iruka, by the way. I volunteer at the children's section sometimes." 

"Hello, Iruka, I'm Kakashi." 

There was some rustle of clothing and Kakashi felt more than heard Iruka move closer. 

"You want some company?" 

"Sure." 

++++++++++ 

_"And I won't go home without you_  
And I won't go home without you  
And I won't go home without you" 

_Kakashi stood at the landing, looking at the 2 doors side-by-side, a little unsure, until soft as a whisper, he heard the sound of wooden wind chimes._

_He knocked on the door, nerves coursing through his body. There was a muffled yell, and a loud thump, and then the locks were turning, and the door started to open..._


End file.
